A preview of this full-text is provided by Springer Nature.
Content available from Reading and Writing
This content is subject to copyright. Terms and conditions apply.
The moderating influence of instructional intensity
and word type on the acquisition of academic
vocabulary in young English language learners
Diane August
1,3
•Lauren Artzi
1
•Christopher Barr
2
•
David Francis
2
Published online: 20 January 2018
Springer Science+Business Media B.V., part of Springer Nature 2018
Abstract This study used a within-subjects design to explore two instructional
conditions for developing vocabulary in second-grade Spanish-speaking English
learners (ELs)—extended instruction and embedded instruction implemented during
shared interactive reading. Words assigned to the extended condition were directly
taught using a multifaceted approach that included visuals, bilingual definitions,
examples, spelling, and partner-talk about the words’ meaning. Words assigned to
the embedded condition were taught solely through brief definitions to embedded
text, writing activities, and songs. In the control condition students heard the target
words read aloud during shared interactive reading but without definitions or direct
instruction. The study also explored the interaction between instructional condition
and word type. Four types of words—abstract cognates, abstract noncognates,
concrete cognates, and concrete noncognates—were randomly assigned to each
condition. Nine teachers in four schools and 187 second-grade ELs participated in
this within-subjects intervention, which took place in transitional bilingual class-
rooms. Findings indicated that across all word types, both extended and embedded
instruction were more effective than the control condition in helping ELs acquire
vocabulary. Findings also indicated that extended instruction was more effective
then embedded instruction for all word types except concrete cognates suggesting
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-
018-9821-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
&Diane August
daugust@air.org
1
American Institutes for Research (AIR), 1000 Thomas Jefferson Street, NW, Washington,
DC 20007, USA
2
Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics (TIMES), University of Houston,
4849 Calhoun Rd, Rm 373, Houston, TX 77204-6022, USA
3
4500 Wetherill Road, Bethesda, MD 20816, USA
123
Read Writ (2018) 31:965–989
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-018-9821-1
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.